6 Unforgettable Gaming Moments From 2013

I opened my eyes, took a step forward, and felt waves of excitement rush over me. Dueling melodies from various songs filled the air like wayward ghosts, and I could feel joy radiating from everyone around me. What hit me next were the smells. The aroma of all the delicious carnival foods suddenly flooded my nose, activating my taste buds like open faucets. The sky was a perfect shade of azure, and it was all around us, on all sides, like an ocean would be. Various vendors peddled and pushed their wares on the throngs of masses funneling through the gates of Colombia that fine day. A day I will never forget.

In case you could not piece it together, that was my experience in the opening moments of discovering Columbia in BioShock: Infinite. That, my friends, is what a perfect gaming experience should be like. It should lift you off your feet and drag you into its world. It should snatch you up by the senses and refuse to let go until you are so immersed that, for a single, sweeping moment, you forget that your real life exists. For me, that is exactly what the six moments on this list did. They transported me to a different world. Under a different sky, with different rules. It is the closest you can come to literally falling down the rabbit hole and discovering Wonderland for yourself.

Keep in mind, there will be the conspicuous absence of any moments from The Last of Us on this list. That is not because the game isn’t phenomenal — it is — it’s because I have not yet played through the entirety of that glorious game for reasons I have made obvious on many lists before this. Also, these are moments that I found particularly spectacular, but that does not mean you did too. Being an opinion piece means that it is based on my opinion as a gamer, and as the writer of the piece. In that sense, there is no right or wrong. Just one gamer talking to some other gamers about some awesome gaming moments from 2013 that really stood out.